Quick question about wheels/tyres and resistance to kerbing

4.2 V8 32v Naturally Aspirated - 335bhp
4.2 V8 40v Naturally Aspirated - 355bhp
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MoRS6+
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Quick question about wheels/tyres and resistance to kerbing

Post by MoRS6+ » Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:08 pm

Before my current car (RS6+), I had a D2 S8 Final Edition, 2002. Now, on several occasions, I scraped against kerbs, edges and even once on a roundabout over a large rock that fell off the lorry in front. Every single time I did this, I cringed and thought to myself 'fecker' and then anxiously got out to check the damage. EVERY SINGLE TIME, there was absolutely no damage to the wheel at all. No matter what I did, it was completely impossible to kerb those S8 wheels, seriously. In fact, I kind of got complacent because of this! The RS6 however is a different story.. I've kerbed them twice now and the wheel (thankfully the same one) has suffered damage as a result. The wheels on the S8 were the 20" 9-spoke ones and the tyres were Pirelli PZero Direzionale 255/35 ZR20 97 Y J (the only reason I made a detailed note of them was because I was so impressed at how they repeatedly resisted kerbing). The RS6+ ones are the standard anthracite 19" 5-arm with Pirelli PZero Rosso 255/35 ZR19 96 Y (I can also make out 'dot XT 03 F972' after the 96 Y). From those numbers and letters, can anyone deduce as to why the 20's were impossible to kerb and the 19's not? The reason I'm especially keen to know the answer is (aside from the obvious and not wanting to damage my wheels) I'm due for 2 new front tyres. Does the J at the end have anything to do with it? Because the 19's don't have the J. I'm guessing that the S8 tyres possibly had reinforced sidewalls?

Many thanks.

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